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Technical Blown flathead - streetable?

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by bhemi, Nov 16, 2018.

  1. bhemi
    Joined: Sep 1, 2010
    Posts: 102

    bhemi
    Member

    I just bought a 1950 Mercury 8 coupe. I have been puzzling over what to do with the engine. I prefer hot rods over customs. I have no great urge to alter the body much but I want it to handle better, brake better and go faster. If I take the stock 255, bore it out and add a 4-71 or a SCoT blower on it with after market heads what is a realistic result for power and how drive-able would it be? If I can't take it a few hundred miles down the road I don't want to go that route. No way am I putting a Chevy engine in it. If the Flathead won't work out I will put another Ford engine in it.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  2. town sedan
    Joined: Aug 18, 2011
    Posts: 1,290

    town sedan
    Member

    An early hemi, or Cadillac OHV would motivate it down the road nicely too. That is if the Merc isn't enough for you.
    -Dave
     
  3. put over 30k on this one and tow my race car with it, about 200 hp and very streetable ford 9" with 3.0 gears 65 at 2400
    DSC01368.JPG
     
  4. ol-nobull
    Joined: Oct 16, 2013
    Posts: 1,655

    ol-nobull
    Member

    You may be aware of this but if your question is will it still be streetable because of the blower you should have a clutch on blower drive where you can disengage it when all that power is not needed by using a push- pull switch.
    Jimmie
     
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  5. Petejoe
    Joined: Nov 27, 2002
    Posts: 12,264

    Petejoe
    Member
    from Zoar, Ohio

    Have the perfect rebuilt engine for sale for that car.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. town sedan
    Joined: Aug 18, 2011
    Posts: 1,290

    town sedan
    Member

    I thought that only worked in Mad Max movies...
    -Dave
     
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  7. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,442

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    Actually there are blowers with electric clutch in some small Japanese cars but a rather intense manifolding/bypass valve arrangement..I have seen some Aussie engines with a by pass but not the electric clutch..
     
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  8. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Brethren, let us all turn to the good book for the answers to which we seek
    upload_2018-11-16_11-24-12.png
     
  9. Eaton M90s have said bypass. Been a few ran on flatheads with good success. Do imagine with a carb set up to be run draw thru supercharged if you disengaged the clutch it'd run pig rich N/A. Probably best EFI with that arrangement.
     
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  10. I've run carbureted street blowers for decades and they are VERY reliable! Over 200,000 miles on the current one. No need for a clutch, just keep it simple and run it!
     
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  11. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I built my flathead to the numbers as Joe Abbin load them out. I am still breaking the motor in but it is powerful and quick from the fun I've has with it so far. Idles nice, revs fast, sounds mean, what's not to like?
     
  12. If you go blown you will find boost to be addictive. ;):)
     
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  13. Of course that is on a Chevy! lol :rolleyes::D
     
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  14. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    In truth the after market (finned) heads are counter indicated in a blown engine. No good reason to up the compression when you can use boost to increase compression pressure. And an iron head looses less heat than an aluminum head. But I expect the bling factor will overcome all that. Clutch on the blower drive is fantasy for the most part. If the throttle plates arn't open, as in cruising, the blower can't make boost with air it doesn't get.
     
  15. Ebbsspeed
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 6,250

    Ebbsspeed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The clutch thing doesn't make sense to me. At partial throttle you don't have boost anyway, so why clutter up the engine compartment with useless hardware and added complexity? Drawing through the blower at partial throttle building no boost is a benefit anyway as the mixture gets stirred by the rotors and atomizes the mixture better.
     
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  16. Right. If the blower is not spinning your not winning.;)
     
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  17. Leave the switch on and off blowers to this man. LOL. 4d74e40b0c3cd.jpg
     
  18. Flat Roy
    Joined: Nov 23, 2007
    Posts: 533

    Flat Roy
    Member

    engine2.jpg
    2X what Carl says. 4-5 lbs. boost. at full throttle. use recirculation valve to get 12-18 ins of vacuum cruising . 15-18 MPG cruising, in my 1950 F1
     
  19. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Everything in moderation, Grasshopper.
     
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  20. 10B0D48C-3986-4382-951E-76491D3CDCA9.jpeg Your blower does NOT need a switch; it just needs a moderate amount of boost(5 pounds or less for a flathead) and it will be plenty of fun. You start applying more boost and as boost goes up,so do the modification necessary in the “built” for it to survive. It is practical for a blown flathead to have 200-225-250 h.p. And be streetable and a fun, reliable driver but don’t expect to attain these figures on the cheap side. Pic is of Pontiac 4 banger at Pomona on the street with a GM blower in a model a roadster on 32 rails.
     
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  21. I wonder how a blower, with tri lobed, helical rotors and teflon seals, would work in the mystical Mad Max scenario? If the blower isn't spinning, how can the vacuum, created by the pistons, draw the charge through the said blower and into the combustion chambers? Movie Magic???
     
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  22. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It was hollow, set over a carburetor.

    In the garage scene, there is no fuel line hooked up, and the engine is running.
    upload_2018-11-16_21-32-15.png
     
  23. ^^^^ Your A BUZZKILL! LOL!
     
  24. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Max must have been in Portland a summer or two back cuz I spotted his car at a Wednesday night cruise in at PIR. That blower still didn't look operable nor did that pistol grip scatter gun on the dash.
    upload_2018-11-16_21-53-12.png
     
  25. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,141

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    My old high school pal knows the guy that owns that contraption.
     
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  26. If blown flatheads are the idea then this ought to get ya excited [​IMG] enjoy.


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  27. choppedtudor
    Joined: Nov 28, 2009
    Posts: 722

    choppedtudor
    Member

    here's my contribution.... 000_0006[1].jpg
     
  28. Cool,and nice copper work.:D
     
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  29. krylon32
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 9,397

    krylon32
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Nebraska
    1. Central Nebraska H.A.M.B.

    Back about12-14years ago I built a FH powered deuce roadster with a mild performance motor, nothing radical and one of Joe Abbin's 172 Weiand blowers. We were only doing between 4&5 lbs of boost on 8 to 1 compression but with the 5 speed trans and 3.78 gears it ran like a scalded dog. After I drove the car for a year I sold it to a customer in Portugal and have heard nothing since.
     
  30. Ebbsspeed
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 6,250

    Ebbsspeed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The vacuum created will spin the blower when there is no belt.

    I've never seen any Mad Max movies but suspect that there are plenty of bullshit scenarios regarding the vehicles.
     
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